Atmospheric pressure water remover



Feb. 20, 1940. w w, ROY 2,190,885

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WATER REMOVER Filed Oct. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I I lnventyr A iiorn eys Feb." 20, 1940. w, w, OY I, 2,190,885

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WATER REMOVER Filed 001;. 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Walk'am W By J5 am Aiiorneys Patented Feb. 20, 1940 UNITED s'm'ras PATENT OFFICE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WATER REMOVE]! William w. Roy, Oakland, Calif.

Application October 5, 1937, Serial No. 167,477

1 Claim. (Cl. 68241) This invention relates to what may be termed an atmospheric pressure water remover. the object of the invention being the provision of a device for use in damp drying clothes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be efficient, durable, and provide a. safer means for damp drying clothes than is now the case with the conventional wringer or dryer.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the drum or tank forming part of the device.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the lid or cover.

Eigure 4 is a plan view of a partition plate, an

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view through a valve. 7

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it will be seen that in the preferred embodiment thereof the device comprises a cylindrical tank or drum 5 having a concave-convex bottom 6 provided with an outlet 1 to which is coupled through the medium of an elbow 8 a drain pipe 9.

Arranged in the drain pipe 9 is a manually operable valve I and a Y-fitting I I. The purpose of the fitting I I will be hereinafter made manifest.

For the top of the cylinder or drum there is provided a flanged cover or lid I2 equipped with a gasket I3 as shown to provide a substantially air-tight closure for the drum or cylinder.

Atabout the center thereof the lid I2 is provided with an apertured boss I4 and a circular arises. of openings I5 disposed concentric to the Also for the lid I2 there is provided a locking J rod I6 which intermediate its ends is provided with a slot I! to receive the boss l4, and at the slot Ii rod I6 is pivoted to the boss I4 as at I9. At one end thereof the rod I6 is hinged to the drum 5 as at I9 while at the relatively opposite end thereof rod I6 is slotted to accommodate a securing screw 20 hinged to the wall of the drum 6 as at 22. Threadedly engaged with the screw 22 is a thumbnut 23 that cooperates with the screw and the bar I6 to positively secure the lid I2 in position at the top of the drum.

Internally thereof and at a suitable point in the height or depth of the drum 5 the latter is pr vided with retaining cleats 24 which provide support for a perforated partition disk 25.

Having a working flt within the drum 5 above the partition 25 is a piston 26 of the type shown. Piston 26 is provided on one end with a rod 21 that works through the boss I4 as clearly shown in Figure 2.

Also threaded on the end of the rod connected with the piston 26 is a valve member 28 provided with a seating surface 29 of rubber or other suitable material adapted to seat against the underside of the lid I2 for closing the ports I5 when the piston 26 is in a raised position.

Below the partition 25 there is provided in the wall of the drum 5 a port 39 arranged in alignment with an internally threaded neck 3| through the medium of which and a nipple 32 one branch 33 of a four-way valve 34 is connected with the port 30.

A combination vacuum and pressure pump 35 is provided, and the same, in the present instance, is shown as being driven from an electric motor 36.

Pump 35 has an inlet 31 connected through the medium of piping 38 with a branch 39 of the aforementioned valve 34. Pump 35 also has an outlet 49 connected through the medium of piping 1| H with a third branch 42 of the said valve 34. The fourth branch of the valve 34, which fourth branch is indicated by the reference numeral 43, is open to the atmosphere.

The core member of the plug 34 is indicated by the reference numeral 44 and as shown in Figure 3 said core member 44 is provided with a port or passage 55 which serves to connect branches 33 and 39 when it is desired to produce a vacuum in the tank 5; and with a port or passage 46 that serves to connect branch 33 with branch 42 of valve 34 when it is desired to supply air under pressure to the tank 5; and to connect branch 42 with branch 43 when passage is being utilized to connect the branches 33 and 39 as will be 0 clear from a study of Figure 5.

In actual practice the wet clothes are placed within the drum 6 above the partition 25 and below the piston 26, it being understood that in placing the clothes within the drum 5 lid I2 is 45 in open position and piston 26 is disposed exteriorly of the drum. After the positioning of the clothes within the drum piston 26' is passed into the drum at the upper end of the latter andthe lid I2 then positioned on the drum and securely 50 fastened in position. The parts are now in position to efiect the damp drying operation which latter is effected by starting the. pump 36 and with the valve core 44 in the position shown in Figure 5, the pump, working as a vacuum pump through the check valve 31 and the valve 34 will produce a vacuum in the tank 5 causing the piston 26 to move downwardly for compressing the clothes between the piston and the partition 25 with the result that the water will be squeezed from the clothes to pass through the perforations in the partition 25 into the bottom of the tank 5. In this way is a damp drying of the clothes, using atmospheric pressure, effected.

The core M of valve 34 is then rotated in a counter-clockwise direction for placing the passage 46 in communication with branches 42 and 33. The pump now acts as a pressure pump and forces air through the check valve 40, piping 4|, branch 42, passage 46, and branch 43 into the tank 5, the air pressure in the tank acting on the piston 26 to cause the latter to move upwardly, piston 26 moving upwardly until the seating surface 29 of valve '28 seats against the underside of lid l2 closing the ports l5 preventing an escape of air from the tank through said ports with the result that the top of the tank is now substantially sealed. With the top of the tank now so sealed valve I0 is open and the air under pressure then serves to force the water from the tank 5 through the ports I and drain pipe 9. When thewater has in this manner been drained from the tank lid I2 is lifted back to open position, the piston removed and the clothes then removed from the tank, the clothes so removed being damp dry throughout, as will be found in actual practice. By providing the valve means 28 and 29 for closing the ports ii the piston can be made with a comparatively loose fit in the cylinder and in an inexpensive manner and by having the piston provided with a loose fit it can be easily removed from the cylinder or tank and replaced therein.

It will. be further appreciated that in actual practice by eliminating the air-tight features of the lid 12 and the forced emptying of the water from the tank so that the water may drain from the tank by gravity or by using the water pump on a washing machine to empty the dryer as well as the washer the expense of the construction of the dryer can be greatly decreased and the life thereof greatly increased. on the other hand by using the dryer with the aforementioned airtight lid l2 as described, the usual washer may be connected to the dryer through the medium of the Y-fitting ll whereby the piping 9 will serve as a drain common to the tank 5 and the washer. It will therefore be seen that the device may be used in conjunction with any suitable type of washer it such may be found desirable.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, utility and advantages of an invention of this character will be had without a more detailed description.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In an apparatus for damp drying clothes, a tank, a perforated partition arranged in an intermediate part of the tank to provide a rest for the clothes, a piston having a working fit within the tank above said partition, a removable cover for the tank having an opening therein, a valve member carried by the piston for closing the opening when the piston is in raised position and means for reciprocating said piston including a combination air pressure and vacuum pump, a four-way valve having one branch thereof connected with and communicating with the tank below said partition, and well above the bottom of the tank, said pump having a pair of check valves, a conduit connecting a second branch of the valve with one of said check valves, a second conduit connecting a third branch of the first mentioned valve with a second one of said check valves, and said valve including a core provided with a pair of passages one of which is adapted to connect the first and second branches of said valve and the other of which is adapted to connect the first and third branches of said valve, said pump acting, when the core of the valve is in the first named position to create a vacuum in the tank, and when the core of the valve is in the second named position to force air under pressure into the tank for raising said piston and a valve equipped drain pipe connected with the bottom of the tank.

. WILLIAM W. ROY. 

